THE NIGHT SIDE OF NATURE. 21 



We are by the covert-side, and a strange 

 churring comes from the glades. Waiting 

 silently beneath the bushes, it approaches 

 nearer and nearer, until a loud flapping is 

 heard among the nut-bush tops. The object 

 approaches quite closely, and we can see that 

 the noise is produced by a large bird striking- 

 its wings together as they meet behind. Even 

 in the dark we detect that each wing is 

 crossed by a definite white bar. Had we the 

 bird in our hand, we should see that it seemed 

 a connecting link between the Owls and the 

 Swallows, having the soft plumage and noise- 

 less flight of the one, and the wide mouth of the 

 other. The noise it produces among the trees 

 is probably to disturb from off the bushes the 

 large winged moths upon which it feeds. This 

 is the Nightjar or Goat-sucker. The latter 

 name it has from a superstitious notion that 

 it sucks goats and cows, founded probably upon 

 the fact of its wide gape. It is certain that 

 these birds are often seen flitting about the 

 bellies of cattle as they stand knee-deep in 

 summer pastures. The reason of this is 

 obvious, as there insect food is always abundant. 

 Coming from out the woods the short sharp 



